New Delhi: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu has got a major relief from the Supreme Court in connection with the 34-year-old road rage case ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab. The Supreme Court has adjourned the case to February 25. In fact, on the evening of December 27, 1988, Sidhu had gone to the market of Sherawale Gate in Patiala with his friend Rupinder Singh Sandhu. This place is close to their home. At that time, Sidhu used to be a cricketer. It was only a year since his international career began. He had an argument with a 65-year-old man, Gurnam Singh, over parking a car in the same market. The matter escalated to a scuffle and Sidhu stabbed Gurnam Singh on the knee. Gurnam Singh was then taken to a hospital where he lost his life. It was reported that Gurnam Singh died of a heart attack.
On the same day, Sidhu and his friend Rupinder were booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder at Kotwali police station. The trial was filed in the sessions court. In 1999, the sessions court dismissed the case. In 2002, the Punjab government appealed against Sidhu in the High Court, in the meantime, Sidhu entered politics. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Sidhu contested on a BJP ticket from the Amritsar seat and reached Parliament. In December 2006, the high court's decision in the case came. The high court convicted Sidhu and Sandhu and sentenced them to 3 years' imprisonment each. A fine of Rs 1 lakh was also imposed. Sidhu resigned from the Lok Sabha. The HC's decision was challenged in the top court and the Supreme Court stayed the high court's decision. After which in 2007, Sidhu again won the election from Amritsar.
In the 1988 case, Sidhu and Sandhu have two cases registered against them. The first is culpable homicide and the second is road rage. In May 2018, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had convicted Sidhu and Sandhu in a road rage case and sentenced them to 3 years imprisonment each. The matter also reached the Supreme Court and the top court acquitted Sidhu and Sandhu of all charges. However, the court imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on Sidhu in the road rage case. Now a petition has been filed to reconsider this decision of the Supreme Court.
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